Child of Shadows
"And the moon's shadow sang her ancient lullabies, for she was its mistress' last child."
Born on All Hallow's Eve, Calliope comes from a long lineage of witches said to be the last living bloodline of Lilith herself. From the moment the newborn kitten drew breath, the ancient shadows that had stalked her sinful bloodline bent towards her cradle like loyal hounds.
Raised as the only child in a gloomy manor from a bygone era surrounded by secluded woods, she was endlessly spoiled by her mother and aunties ---both out of love, and out of desire for Calliope to never wish to leave the protection of their ancestral home.
Curious and incredibly adept to magic, Calliope was able to learn since her youth how to tame the otherworldly entities that stalked her family for centuries, making her own growing shadow her beloved companion.
Heir of Lilith
"The night and its shadows called out; and she replied."
When Calliope came of age, she had finally proved her family that her power came not only from natural talent, but from carefully crafted skills as well, and that no matter how strong the magic in her veins could be, she was able to bend it to her will.
Confident in her daughter's capabilities, Calliope's mother gifted her with an ancient and sacred family heirloom: a raven skull tied to a heart-shaped vial, filled of a mysterious liquid that looked suspiciously like blood. Her mother was confident that Calliope would keep it safe for the centuries to come, just like her grandmother and every matron before her, for it was rumored to be the source of the family's powers and fortune ---perhaps even once a possession of Lilith herself.
What Calliope's mother couldn't predict, though, was for the relic to start whispering to her daughter.
And young Calliope, ever so curious, listened.
An Ancestral Quest
"And she shall never rest, not until her thirst for knowledge has been quenched."
It was a dark new moon night when Calliope made up her mind and quietly left her home. She hated not giving her beloved family a proper goodbye, but she also knew they would have never allowed her to leave: not when she was the last of her bloodline, sworn to be protected at all costs. But nothing could protect Calliope from her fate.
She wasn't sure what the relic wanted from her, exactly: its whispers were more a feeling, an intuition, than actual words. Sometimes Calliope felt like messages were carried more directly to her in her dreams, but the confusing nature of dreams made them difficult to interpret. All she knew was that she had to look for something; or rather, someone.
Years would pass, so many that Calliope's tail tip split in two, as proof of her increasing age and powers; yet she remained as youthful as ever, and her desire to end the quest the family heirloom had tasked her with so long ago never faltered. Now that she was out of the manor and its protective spells, the raven skull that was part of the relic sometimes talked to her, its empty eye sockets glowing red as it did, and it, together with her ever-faithful shadow, became a trusted companion in her journey.
What is her family's source of power, of her seemingly eternal youth itself? Is it truly Lilith's blood? Why are they stalked and haunted by wailing shadows? And what awaits Calliope at the end of her quest? Only time will tell...
DesireeU
Calliope
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